Never alone
by Cassie Studios
Summary: After Orochimaru was defeated, everything in Konoha went back to normal. Save one thing... SasuSaku.


**A/N: **Hey! My first posted Naruto fic! It's kinda sad, and about my favourite Naruto couple, Sakura and Sasuke-kun. Enjoy.

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**Never alone**

Sakura sat in the shadow under a tree, completely exhausted.

"Oh, I'm so tired…", she leaned her head against the trunk. "All day training… Who would've thought that throwing kunai at an aim is so exhausting?"

She heard footsteps and titled her head just to see the most handsome shinobi in the whole universe.

"Sasuke-kun!", she exclaimed happily.

He said nothing, but only sat beside her.

"You look tired", he marked after a short while.

"I've been training the whole day", she explained. He looked at her and smirked a little.

"You've really improved since you started this training".

"Are you proud of me?", she demanded.

Sasuke turned his gaze away, but he conceded: "I am".

Sakura grinned happily. These were the words that she wanted so desperately to hear him say.

"I have to go", he said, standing up.

"You're leaving me again", she frowned with a pout.

Sasuke looked at her and his lips formed a small smile.

"No, I'm not. I'm just going away for a little while, but I'll return. I'll always be by your side". He tucked a stray strand of her pink hair behind her ear. "Remember, you're never alone".

And with that he walked away.

Just when he dissappeared from her sight, Sakura heard someone coming again. It was Naruto, who knew perfectly her favourite place to rest.

"Hello, Sakura-chan!!!"

"Hi, Naruto", she replied with a smile. An unusually happy smile. You know, you can't be smiling like this out of the blue, right?

"What happened?", asked Naruto. "Why are you so happy?"

She dropped her gaze down to her knees, but didn't stop smiling. "No reason".

Naruto stared at her for a while and then a strange look appeared on his face. The one of pain and sorrow. He frowned slightly.

"I see", he said quietly. Then he offered: "How about joining me in the Ichiraku today? You know, there is no one to eat with me at home, so…"

"I'm sorry", Sakura looked up at him. "I… I wanted to meet with someone today later… Maybe some other time".

Naruto bit his lip, but nodded saddly. "OK, I understand…"

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"Tsunade-obaachan!!!"

"What is it, you noisy little fox?", asked irittated Hokage. She didn't know why, but Naruto apparently had fun entering her office like that everytime. But just when she prepared herself to scold him mercilessly, she frowned at the sight of his face.

"What's wrong?", she asked, a little alert.

Naruto sighed and started mowing his right foot back and forth.

"It's Sakura-chan", he answered.

Tsunadelooked away for awhile. Then she spoke: "It's about Sasuke, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded. "Tell me, when is this going to end? I mean, it's been a really long time now and…"

"I don't know, Naruto", she interrupted. "I also thought that by now she would have gotten it over with, but she still…"

"Isn't there anything we can do?", asked the fox-boy pleadingly. "Nothing to help?"

Tsunade shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. She has to stop it herself. If she would want to…"

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Sakura walked along the main street, carrying a bag of groceries that she had just bought. Suddenly she saw a familiar chicken-butt hair.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I told you that I'd come back. And so I am."

Sakura chuckled. Sasuke motioned to the bag she was carrying.

"I'll help you."

"No way!", she suddenly hid the bag behind herself. "I have some tomatoes there, I wouldn't trust them to you! You'd eat them all within a blink of an eye!"

He simply returned her smile.

"Hey", asked a man in the greengrocer's. "Who is she talking to?"

His friend looked outside to see a pink-haired girl, deep in a conversation with someone invisible. At least – invisible to him. But he recognized her.

"Don't you know her?", he turned his look to the first man. "It's Haruno Sakura. Haven't you heard of her?"

"Nooo…", he answered hesitantly. "So what about her?"

"She's talking to Uchiha Sasuke."

"But…", the first man opened his eyes widely. "But he's… he's dead. He died in the final battle with Orochimaru, didn't he?"

"He did", conceded the second. "But Sakura could never accept it and short after his death she started seeing him as if he was still alive. She talks to him and acts as if it was for real. Well, it is real for her", he stated after a short while.

The first man simply stared at the kunoichi, still laughing and talking to the air.

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It was already dark when Naruto once again went to talk to his teammate. It hurt him the most, seeing her like this. Especially since his old crush hadn't completely faded yet. He suffered too. Despite all, Sasuke was his best friend. However, Naruto knew that Sakura suffered much, much more. Still, it didn't mean that she should create illusions to ease her pain. What was even worse, she faithfully believed in those illusions, and wouldn't listen to others telling her it isn't real.

He found her sitting on her bed, watching the stars outside. He sat beside her.

"Hello again", he said.

"I'm glad you came", she replied. "I felt quite awful when I rejected your offer earlier. I know that you just wanted to talk to me." She sighed. "I know you all think I'm insane. That I create an illusion that Sasuke-kun is still here."

Naruto looked at her. Did she realize?

"But why don't you all understand that he is alive?", Sakura continued and Naruto instantly felt cold. She didn't realize, after all. His short hope faded away. He felt like he lost her again.

"Good thing that Sasuke-kun doesn't pay attention to what other people say; otherwise he would feel extremely sorry that you ignore him", she frowned. "Why do you do this to him?"

"Why do you do this to yourself, Sakura-chan?", asker Naruto with tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't listen to this anymore. "Why do you close yourself in this virtual world?"

She cupped his face with her hands and shook her head. "It's not me who's cheating on herself. It's you. Don't you see? He's real." Her eyes glowed with a terrible certainty. The one that only the mad can possess. Naruto pulled back a little, terrified by this sight. "He's real. Sasuke-kun has returned", she assured him.

Naruto swallowed hard and asked tentatively: "What… what does he tell you?"

Sakura smiled. It was an insane grin.

"He tells me that he will always be by my side. That I'm never alone."

"You should know that", said Naruto quietly. "We're always here to help you."

She nodded. "I know. But so is Sasuke-kun."

Naruto couldn't manage to be there anymore. He was helpless and unable to fight her strong believes. He quicky said goodbye and they parted. Neither of them knew that it was their last goodbye.

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Later that night Sakura was looking out the window into the dark, though warm night outside. She felt someone's presence behind her back.

"Sasuke-kun?"

She turned around. He was there, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Sakura, I want you to do something for me", he announced.

"Anything, Sasuke-kun."

The raven-haired boy stepped closer to her and unexpectedly embraced her. Sakura's eyes popped wide open at the unexpected physical contact.

Sasuke lowered his head to her ear.

"I love you", he whispered.

Sakura was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. She replied after a while: "I… I love you too, Sasuke-kun…"

He looked deep into her emerald eyes and gently kissed her on the lips. She immediately responded, givin all herself to him. She had been waiting for this moment for so long. Sasuke pulled her even closer, kissing her passionately. As he was doing so, Sakura felt something being placed into her hand.

Sasuke broke the kiss and whispered softly: "Come with me."

She looked into his dark eyes that she had adored since so long ago.

"Of course I will", she replied with a soft smile.

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The next morning Naruto went to her house again. Since she wouldn't come and open the door, he did it himself. He went upstairs to her room.

"Sakura-chan…?"

But as he entered the room, he stopped in horror. Sakura was lying on the floor, blood all over her body. Naruto quickly kneeled beside her.

"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan! Open your eyes, dammit! Sakura-chan!!!"

There was no response. Naruto looked to the side and saw her hand, grasping tightly a kunai. Sakura had an awful wound on her stomach, which caused the excessive bleeding. Naruto shivered and lowered his head in pain. After all, he wasn't able to help her. He had tried so hard, but still he failed. Sakura walked her own path, the one that he couldn't accompany her on. He pulled a strand of hair off of her face.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan…", he whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

But as tears started welling up in his eyes, he noticed her expression. She was smiling peacefully, no sign of pain or sorrow visible on her face. Though his heart was tearin apart right now, Naruto managed to form a little, sad smile. He knew, that wherever she was now, she was finally happy.

**The End**

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**A/N:** If you think that it is a nice idea, listen to the song "Never alone" by Barlow Girl. It's really worth it. Also, see the music video by ninjahobbit to this song, either SasuSaku or ShikaIno on youtube. They're both great.

If you liked the fic, please review. If you didn't, review as well. It doesn't matter if I receive praises or flames. Anything is welcomed, because it will all help me improve my writing, so that I'll be able to write better for you in the future :)

So review please!!!


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